


Not Straight, but Straightforward

by CityofEmeralds



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Bisexuality, Bobby and Michael's friendship is so wholesome, Coming Out, F/M, Self-Discovery, bi!BobbyNash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29064615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityofEmeralds/pseuds/CityofEmeralds
Summary: Bi accident, Bobby realizes he might not be as straight as he once thought.
Relationships: Athena Grant/Bobby Nash, Michael Grant & Bobby Nash (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21





	Not Straight, but Straightforward

It was a warm night in Los Angeles. The setting sun projected soft rays of light into the Grant-Nash household as a gentle wind blew through the trees, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Bobby was sitting in a wicker chair on the deck, nursing a nearly empty bottle of sparkling water. He was waiting on Michael to return from the kitchen with another round of drinks. 

The fire captain had invited Michael over to the house earlier that evening after being notified that Athena was held up at work. Conveniently, Michael also happened to be available as David was working a night shift at the hospital. Following a family dinner with May and Harry, the kids had gone off to their rooms, leaving the two men alone. 

Bobby swirled his beverage around, bringing the bottle to his lips before swallowing the dregs. Just then, Michael stepped onto the deck with two more ice cold bottles in his hands. 

“Perfect timing, thanks,” Bobby joked, a smile appearing on his face as he gestured to the empty container. 

Michael returned his smile, while passing the water to Bobby.

“Well, thank _you_ for inviting me tonight. Ever since David and I started dating, I haven’t been over as much as I would like. It was nice to see you and the kids again.”

“You’re always welcome here, Michael, you know that.”

Michael nodded, accepting Bobby’s words at face value. The men cracked open their drinks and each took a swig. 

After a few moments, Bobby asked, “So, you and David, huh? How’s that been going?” 

“Yeah, uh, it’s been good. You know, we’ve been getting to know each other over the last few months. I guess that’s one of the benefits of living in isolation with another person.” 

“Well, it can’t be too much of a hardship to spend time with a handsome doctor all day. Most people would be glad to have someone like David waiting at home for them,” Bobby commented, nonchalantly. 

Michael inhaled, sharply, causing him to choke on his drink. He coughed a few times trying to clear his throat before proceeding to give Bobby a strange look that the fire captain couldn’t quite interpret. 

After regaining some sense of composure, Michael pushed even further, “What do you mean?” 

“Well,” Bobby said, casually taking a swig of his water, “David’s an attractive man, anyone would be lucky to date him.” 

He waited a few moments for Michael to respond to his statement. When Michael remained quiet, Bobby couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?” 

Michael paused, clearly choosing his words carefully, “Have you felt like this before?”

Bobby raised a single eyebrow in confusion, staring intently at his friend. 

“Have you been...interested in dating men before?” 

The fire captain’s body stiffened as he reeled back in his seat, finally understanding the meaning of Michael's words. 

“What exactly are you implying?” Bobby hissed, the question coming out a little harsher than intended. He kept his voice quiet, not wanting to draw attention to their conversation with May and Harry nearby. 

Michael held his hands up in defence, “I’m not implying anything.” He slowly reached towards his drink, sipping his beverage in silence, allowing Bobby to spend some time alone with his thoughts. 

Initially, Bobby had an overwhelming urge to get up from the table and walk away. It would be so easy to just pretend that this conversation had never happened. But a little voice inside of his head told him that he should stay. He needed to talk about...this. He just didn’t know how. 

“I love Athena. She’s my everything,” he confessed, quietly, revealing his innermost thoughts. 

Michael smiled warmly at his friend, “I know. You love her in a way that I never could. It's clear that your feelings towards her are genuine.”

Bobby nodded. Although he was grateful to hear those words, it still wasn’t enough. He felt compelled to further clarify his feelings, “And I loved Marcy with all my heart.”

A tear formed in the corner of his eye, threatening to fall. He quickly wiped it away with the back of his wrist. He always got emotional when thinking about the women that he loved dearly. He knew that very few people got to experience one great love during their lifetime, let alone two. 

“Bobby,” Michael sighed, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, guiding his attention back to the present, "I can’t tell what you’re feeling and I definitely don’t want to pressure you into thinking about your sexuality, especially if that makes you uncomfortable. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being attracted to more than one gender. It wouldn't take away from your love of Athena and Marcy. It would just mean that you have the capacity to develop feelings towards more people than you previously thought.”

Those words sent Bobby into a tailspin. He couldn’t help but think about experiences from his past. There were times, throughout his life, when he’d caught himself gazing at other men. Bobby was quick to explain away the actions, convincing himself that he wanted to examine their weight lifting technique or make sure their turnout gear met regulations. Perhaps those looks weren’t as altruistic as he would have liked to believe. 

Suddenly, so many small, insignificant moments started to add up. He had always known that men were attractive to look at, but he’d never really considered that he might be attracted _to_ them. It wasn't an option when he was younger. Now, with hindsight, it was clear that those feelings had been there all along. 

Bobby glanced towards his friend, his whole body tense. 

“I think you might be onto something,” Bobby whispered. Strangely enough, his confession made him feel a sense of relief, not fear. He had ignored these feelings for so long, it felt good to finally talk about them with someone else—someone who understood. “How did you figure it out when I didn’t even know?” 

“Well, to be honest, you’ve made some comments that were obvious enough to set off my non-existent gaydar. Plus, I kind of noticed the way you...looked at Glenn sometimes when you thought no one else was paying attention.”

“M-Michael,” the captain spluttered, uncharacteristically, appalled by his behaviour. “Please know that I didn’t mean anything by that. I would never do anything to jeopardize your relationship." 

Michael couldn’t help but scoff and roll his eyes, “I know that, Bobby. My point is that you weren’t exactly subtle.”

Bobby exhaled heavily, squeezing the bridge of his nose with his fingers, willing himself to relax. “So, what do I do now?” 

“Well, I think it’s important for you to know that you don’t _have_ to do anything. If you just wanted to keep this information to yourself, that’s okay. You’re in control here. But I can tell from personal experience that these kinds of truths gnaw away at you the longer you keep them inside. If you feel comfortable, you should think about telling Athena, if only so you don’t repeat the same mistakes I made.”

The fire captain nodded in agreement. He knew he wanted to tell his wife. He couldn’t bear keeping such a big secret from her. 

“You’re handling this a lot better than I did,” Michael joked, breaking the tension. 

Bobby shrugged, “Well, it’s different, right? This won’t impact my relationship with Athena in the same way it did with you.”

Michael’s smile faltered slightly, “It shouldn’t.”

Just then, Bobby heard the sound of the front door opening. He realized that Athena must have gotten home from work. Glancing towards the entrance, he couldn’t help but watch in awe as his wife sauntered down the stairs. She always looked radiant, but she looked even more beautiful tonight. 

“Evening, gentlemen,” Athena greeted, announcing her arrival. “I’m guessing the kids are in their rooms?” 

Bobby must have zoned out for a moment, caught up in his own thoughts because the next thing he heard was Athena ask, “Bobby, are you okay?”

She walked towards him and draped her arms across his shoulders. He grasped one of her wrists and allowed his lips to linger over her pulse point, a soft smile forming against her skin. 

“I’m fine, better than fine, in fact.” He admitted, pulling away gently. “Michael just helped me figure out that I might be attracted to men as well as women.” 

Athena’s eyebrows raised in surprise, clearly caught off guard by Bobby’s statement. Her eyes flickered between her husband and ex-husband, trying to understand what was happening. Athena stayed silent for a few moments, processing the new information before saying, “Gotta be honest with you, I wasn’t expecting to hear that tonight but I’m glad you told me." Athena bent down and held his face gently between the palms of her hands, her thumbs brushing lightly over his cheeks, "Thanks for trusting me with this.” 

Bobby was slightly taken aback at how easily Athena accepted his revelation but he wasn't going to question it. Instead, he pressed his lips against hers, trying to express everything that he was feeling in a single kiss. “Always,” Bobby whispered.

The couple would have to continue this conversation after Michael left and the kids went to bed, but Bobby knew everything would be alright and that was good enough for now.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by [ transcaradune](https://transcaradune.tumblr.com/post/641351181053116416/viewing-the-911-fandom-content-has-many-downsides) and [ theseventeenstairs](https://theseventeenstairs.tumblr.com/post/641350048418004992/peter-krause-has-the-ability-to-make-one-gay-man) who convinced me that Bobby Nash is bi. This is 100% true and I will not be taking any questions.
> 
> ~CityofEmeralds


End file.
